Evidence of meeting #58 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-56.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
We'd prefer it to be mandatory.
5:20 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Yes, mandatory. It makes sense. But anyway, we're happy that the government has introduced the bill. Thank you for introducing the bill, and we're urging the MPs to pass it.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Right.
Let me ask the question, and put it this way, then: you've talked to your artists, you've told them, you've had the discussions across the board with them, and they have uniformly or in a high percentage of numbers said they want it to be mandatory.
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Come on, we haven't canvassed every member here. What we're talking about is based upon our experience in the industry, which is considerable.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Okay.
I have some other questions, then. I would have thought that maybe you'd do some polling, because I know, as executives, we take positions. We can sometimes be out of touch, too. I certainly hope that's not the case here.
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
That's not the case here, sir.
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
No. No, sir.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Okay. But you've done no polling, you've done no surveying of your members.
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
We speak to our members all the time.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Well, okay.
Have you actually polled your members, done any kind of systematic thing in terms of being able to access self-employed benefits? Have you done any kind of polling on the more general topic, aside from mandatory and voluntary? Have you done—
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
No.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
—any kind of polling of your members, done any survey of your members?
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
No, we have not. On this issue, no.
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
This is all new to our members. We've never had any ability to poll our members. This all came to us, actually, very late in this process. The members came to us with open interest in this program.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
I'm pleased to hear that. I would assume, as executives of an organization, that you will be attempting to do that in some comprehensive manner—
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Yes.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
—inevitably, no doubt.
Let me ask this question, then. I guess maybe Ferne wants to respond here.
This is speculative again, but you may have had conversations in the absence of any polling or survey. Do you hear from women who have either delayed or forgone having children, maybe altogether, because they have no support to help them of the sort that's being proposed here?
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Yes.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
And can you conjecture how this bill will impact the lives of those actresses?
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
Many people have come to me on this brief. I believe it will make a very positive impact, particularly on the younger members of the business who become absolutely frightened to ever begin a family, because when you're self-employed you're not working, you're not auditioning, and if you're not auditioning you're not working and you're not earning any income. So people procrastinate. People have terrible financial insecurity about raising a family.
The women, in particular, have come forward and think this is an important benefit to have in their lives. They would want to pay into this program.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
You say, in terms of now, that it's more recently on the radar for you. How long has your organization been calling...? Or have you had those discussions with them internally? Has it been over a number of months or years?
5:25 p.m.
National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
It has been decades. We've been a union for 66 years. This has been on our radar for a very long time.
5:25 p.m.
National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists
We also have had, for the past 35 years, the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society, which provides benefits to performers and writers within the jurisdiction. We've built our own house that provides insurance and retirement benefits for our members. So this would be, as we've said, a very useful additional benefit.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Thank you.
I'm going to cede the floor to my colleagues, Don and Ben. Ben's going first.